[Sleeping on the floor of a cave...really sucks when you've had an actual bed to sleep in for a solid week of your life. Vash is realizing now he was maybe getting too complacent and too used to the luxury, because his entire body is screaming when they wake that next morning, and not in the fun way. There's no time to complain or even think about it, really, as Vash snatches up their bag, Ain stomps out the fire, and they leave their little private hot springs behind to continue their journey. Maybe some years in the future, if they ever make it back to that mountain town, they can come visit this spring again.
Now, normally it's common practice for Vash to try to make sure he's got himself well stocked on food and water before going on long trips of any kind. Water is relatively easily replenished from natural springs and rivers, but food can be tricky unless you know where to find it. Storing up enough dried shit to get him through a week is usually the play...but between everything going on, he genuinely hadn't thought about it. It means they're forced to rough it even moreso than usual, and had they been afforded the time, Vash would have suggested they hunt a little further for something more substantial to eat. Even a few small fish from a stream would be better than a few berries off a bush, but...as long as Ain gets to eat his fill, that's all Vash cares about. He's the one getting them there, after all. He will survive going hungry for a few days.
Reaching the first real town is a relief, though it's a reminder of the place they'd stayed before fleeing to the mountains. Small, dingy, definitely not a place they're actually welcomed to be, but it does its job well enough. There's no time for sight-seeing or recreation, they simply eat, sleep, and move on.
Of course, Vash doesn't miss the way Ain begins to lag a bit. The way he seems more strained as he lifts Vash to carry him, or doubly exhausted when it's time to rest for the night. He feels guilty- why wouldn't he?- that Ain is the one having to shoulder the burden of carrying both of their weight, literally flying them miles upon miles to get to his hometown. And it's for his sake.
He'll have to make up for this somehow...eventually.
Still no time to think, because soon enough, they finally make it to their destination, and this...this is more like the cities Vash has grown accustomed to in the past years. Busy, sort of isolated in their own right, and very...VERY aware of his presence. He's already on guard as Ain sweeps over the buildings, ready to find someplace to hide themselves the second he touches down. That, however, turns out not to be needed, since they're not going to where he thinks they are at all.
The slum leaves Vash feeling plenty subdued as Ain sets him down on his feet, allowing the other to lead the way as they weave past the shelters and abandoned buildings. These sorts of areas are even more common than the metropolis, and it leaves Vash wondering just where exactly here Ain came from.
He soon gets his answer.
The reveal of just this...entire society hidden just beneath the surface is unlike anything Vash could have ever imagined. His jaw actually drops when he sees it, because it doesn't matter if it's a slum, or if it's back-alley and run-down compared to the world above. He never would have thought something like this could even be possible, and it's full of pets. Is it...only pets, he wonders?
Does Nai know about this?
He shakes his head to quickly push aside that thought, taking a tentative step forward as he lifts a hand to shield his eyes for a moment as they adjust from above-ground light to the underground.]
I...I can't believe this is here. This is where you came from?
no subject
Now, normally it's common practice for Vash to try to make sure he's got himself well stocked on food and water before going on long trips of any kind. Water is relatively easily replenished from natural springs and rivers, but food can be tricky unless you know where to find it. Storing up enough dried shit to get him through a week is usually the play...but between everything going on, he genuinely hadn't thought about it. It means they're forced to rough it even moreso than usual, and had they been afforded the time, Vash would have suggested they hunt a little further for something more substantial to eat. Even a few small fish from a stream would be better than a few berries off a bush, but...as long as Ain gets to eat his fill, that's all Vash cares about. He's the one getting them there, after all. He will survive going hungry for a few days.
Reaching the first real town is a relief, though it's a reminder of the place they'd stayed before fleeing to the mountains. Small, dingy, definitely not a place they're actually welcomed to be, but it does its job well enough. There's no time for sight-seeing or recreation, they simply eat, sleep, and move on.
Of course, Vash doesn't miss the way Ain begins to lag a bit. The way he seems more strained as he lifts Vash to carry him, or doubly exhausted when it's time to rest for the night. He feels guilty- why wouldn't he?- that Ain is the one having to shoulder the burden of carrying both of their weight, literally flying them miles upon miles to get to his hometown. And it's for his sake.
He'll have to make up for this somehow...eventually.
Still no time to think, because soon enough, they finally make it to their destination, and this...this is more like the cities Vash has grown accustomed to in the past years. Busy, sort of isolated in their own right, and very...VERY aware of his presence. He's already on guard as Ain sweeps over the buildings, ready to find someplace to hide themselves the second he touches down. That, however, turns out not to be needed, since they're not going to where he thinks they are at all.
The slum leaves Vash feeling plenty subdued as Ain sets him down on his feet, allowing the other to lead the way as they weave past the shelters and abandoned buildings. These sorts of areas are even more common than the metropolis, and it leaves Vash wondering just where exactly here Ain came from.
He soon gets his answer.
The reveal of just this...entire society hidden just beneath the surface is unlike anything Vash could have ever imagined. His jaw actually drops when he sees it, because it doesn't matter if it's a slum, or if it's back-alley and run-down compared to the world above. He never would have thought something like this could even be possible, and it's full of pets. Is it...only pets, he wonders?
Does Nai know about this?
He shakes his head to quickly push aside that thought, taking a tentative step forward as he lifts a hand to shield his eyes for a moment as they adjust from above-ground light to the underground.]
I...I can't believe this is here. This is where you came from?